Hide and Seek
by SouthernBlossom
Summary: On Hetty's orders, Callen and his team head to D.C. to find and protect the only witness to the murder of a fellow NCIS agent while Gibbs' team searches for the killer. There's more to the case, and the witness, than meets the eye, though. May contain spanking / CP.
1. Chapter 1

A small figure remained hidden in the bushes as she waited for the lights to go off inside the house. It was late, far past her bedtime, and pitch black outside. The clouds hid the light from the stars or even the moon, adding to the eerie silence around her, but those clouds also kept it dark enough for her not to be discovered. It was a blessing in disguise, and she knew it, as scared of the dark as she was.

The last lights dimmed from an upstairs window, and the girl made her move. Crossing the yard as silently as she could muster, she climbed the large oak tree into a small but cozy treehouse belonging to one of her friends from school. Once there, she closed the trap door and huddled in a corner, pulling her thin hoodie tighter around her body. The air was unusually chilly for April, and she hadn't eaten since that morning (an apple she'd managed to grab from a convenience store), her hunger making her feel even colder.

By now, she thought, surely people were looking for her. She'd missed school, something she rarely did, and someone would have had to have noticed her mom was missing. Tears slid down her cheeks uninvited at the thought of her mom. Never again would she be able to hug or kiss her. Never again would she be able to share ice cream sundaes with her, or go shopping, or just sit on the porch swing and talk. No, her mother was dead, and the girl knew there was a real possibility that she would be next.

The wind howled in the branches of the tree, and she longed to go inside her friend's house, where her friend's parents would welcome her with open arms, give her something to eat and a warm place to sleep.

Evie Mitchell knew, however, that it wasn't an option.

Being near a friend was a risk, but Evie figured that anyone looking wouldn't expect her to have made it unseen to the other side of town where her friend Claire lived. Claire's treehouse was probably the safest place for her. The police wouldn't be looking for her there, at least for tonight, and neither would the men who'd killed her mother.

Several more tears fell, and Evie slid onto her side, curling up into a ball. She pulled a cold metal object from her hoodie pocket, placing it on the wooden floor in front of her, still grasped firmly in her hand. It would stay there for the night, the only defense she had against the people who sought to hurt her.

* * *

><p>Callen sat at his desk Tuesday morning, a freshly brewed cup of tea in hand as he checked his email on his laptop. The tea didn't have as much caffeine as a typical cup of coffee, but Hetty had converted him, and for whatever reason the drink soothed him. The special agent was exhausted after his disaster of a date with… what had her name been? Courtney? Carly? No, it was Candy.<p>

Sam really needed to stop trying to set him up.

Callen wasn't sure why it was so important for Sam that he find someone. Callen was content being single. Sure, one night here or there wasn't so bad, but Callen had been on his own for so long, he wasn't sure he was really cut out for anything long-term. The closest he'd been to settling down had been over a decade ago, and that relationship hadn't ended well.

Kensi and Deeks were at their desks, sneaking glances at each other when they thought no one else was looking. Honestly, Callen thought it was hilarious that they thought for a second that everyone else there didn't know something was going on.

Out of the corner of his eye, Callen saw Sam approach. He groaned internally, knowing Sam was going to ask about his date with Candy. Quickly trying to come up with an excuse to avoid the subject, Callen nearly jumped at the loud whistle that captured everyone's attention. Eric stood at the top of the stairs, his t-shirt and shorts in stark contrast to the slacks, jeans, and skirts everyone else in the room wore.

"We've got a case."

Relieved, Callen glanced at the members of his team before leading the way up to Ops. He unintentionally caught Sam's gaze, and his friend's face revealed he knew that Callen was happy to avoid the subject. Nevertheless, the topic was pushed aside as he, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks joined Eric and Nell in Ops.

Callen glanced at the plasma screen, expecting to see something about the case they were taking. He was unprepared for the familiar image staring back at him.

"NCIS Special Agent Elizabeth Mitchell, NCIS Headquarters," introduced Eric. "She was found dead in her home in Annandale, Virginia yesterday."

There was a sudden intake of breath throughout Ops. "How?" Callen murmured as his gaze were glued to the screen.

"Gunshot to the head. Local LEOs were first on the scene, but have transferred the case to NCIS. One of our MEs is calling it a homicide."

The team was more subdued than usual. It was a heavy blow to learn about a fellow agent's death, even if they hadn't known that agent personally. However, it was unusual for a team to investigate the death of an agent on the other side of the country. "Why isn't a team in D.C. heading the investigation?" questioned Sam, asking what everyone else was wondering themselves.

"They are," Nell said. "You're not investigating Agent Mitchell's death. Your mission is to locate and protect a possible witness." She clicked a button and a new image appeared – a child's school photo. "This is Genevieve Mitchell, age ten. She's a fourth grader at Camelot Elementary School."

"Mitchell's daughter?" Kensi guessed.

"Yes. Neighbors claim Evie, as she's known to family and friends, was home around the time of Agent Mitchell's death. The Annandale police haven't been able to locate her. It's believed that she could have witnessed her mother's murder, and assumed that she's still alive. If the killer had her, they'd have no reason to keep her alive for ransom. There's no evidence that Agent Mitchell's family has money. They would have just killed her along with her mother, so we're operating under the belief that she's in hiding somewhere. We need to find her before whoever killed Agent Mitchell does."

"What about the father?" Deeks asked, joining the conversation.

"Unknown," Eric explained. "No father listed on her birth certificate. Next of kin listed are Agent Mitchell's parents and sister. They've already been notified."

Beth was dead. It was a hazard of the job, but to have been murdered off the job, in her home, struck a chord within Callen. He hadn't talked to her in years, but he was still surprised to find she had a daughter. Beth had been as devoted to the job as he had when they'd met on a mission overseas. He'd been CIA at the time, while she'd already been NCIS. It had been a whirlwind romance, but Callen could still say with certainty that Beth was the only woman he'd ever truly loved.

Callen took a deep breath. He couldn't bring back Beth, but at least he could try to save her daughter. "When do we leave?"


	2. Chapter 2

It was nearly 9 p.m. when Callen, Sam, Kensie, and Deeks stepped off the elevator and into the bullpen. The flight had been uneventful, but Callen's mind had been plagued with thoughts of Beth the entire time. It didn't seem real that she was gone; it didn't seem fair. She'd been such a beautiful person, inside and out…

Then, there was this daughter of hers. The girl was an orphan now, technically. Callen had no doubt that Beth's family would step up and care for Evie – the few times she'd spoken of her parents, she'd sung their praises – that little girl's life would never be the same. Callen understood what it was like to grow up without parents.

The lights were dimmed, the large room nearly empty save a man with salt and pepper hair and a commanding presence. Fortunately for Callen, he was just the man they were looking for.

"Jethro!"

Callen strode forward, shaking the older man's hand. He enjoyed the rare opportunity to work with his old friend, though he had to admit the circumstances could have been a lot better. The Washington office was a stark contrast to the L.A. field office, with the striking orange walls and almost institutional feel, but Callen felt as at home there as he did back in L.A.

"Callen, good to see you," Gibbs replied with that half-smile/half-smirk of his before nodding to acknowledge the rest of Callen's team. "Wish the circumstances were different. You knew Agent Mitchell, didn't you?"

"It's been over a decade, but yeah," Callen confirmed.

Gibbs furrowed his brow at the admission. "Wait, I thought you knew her daughter too."

Callen shook his head. "Never met her. I didn't even know Beth had a daughter until today."

His previous assessment – because Leroy Jethro Gibbs wasn't one to simply assume anything – proven untrue, he wondered what was amiss. It made no sense to fly a team cross-country for a mission that any of the local teams were more than capable of working. Why else would Callen's team have been brought in? "I figured that was why they brought your team out here to look for Evie."

Callen had wondered why his team had been selected since the moment they'd received the assignment. He was more than willing to help find his old friend's child, determined even at this point, but with dozens of teams within 500 miles of D.C. Callen couldn't fathom why anyone thought his team was the answer. "I have no idea why they sent us. Hetty was tightlipped about the whole assignment, but knowing her, she has some ulterior motive. I doubt the order came from SecNav himself, not with the numerous teams here at the Navy Yard."

Gibbs' mouth turned up in a half grin. "Well, I'm not complaining. Let's head up to MTAC; we'll fill your team in on what we know so far. With any luck, it'll help you find Evie."

* * *

><p>Evie was up and several miles away from Claire's house before sunrise the next morning. She was tired and cold, having been unable to sleep well in her fear, and her stomach cramped from the lack of food, but she couldn't be at her friend's house when the sky grew light once more. It was too much of a risk. She'd have to keep going. Evie had no idea what she was going to do or where she'd go. She could find a way to go to Fredericksburg to find her grandparents, but that would require money, and what if the men who'd hurt her mom found her at her grandparents' house? She didn't want them to get hurt because of her. She didn't trust going to the police, not that she could verbalize her reasons for the distrust.<p>

Her mom had wanted her to find an NCIS agent and ask for a particular agent. Evie had no idea where the NCIS agents worked, but there had to be a base around there somewhere. She trusted military personnel more than she did the local law enforcement officers. She'd have to get a map, and probably take several buses, to get to whichever one was closest.

Whatever she did, though, Evie knew she needed money, and she had to find something to eat. Without any experience in pickpocketing – not that Evie had any desire to steal, no matter the circumstances – the only place she could possibly find the funds she needed was back at home. Of course there was no guarantee she'd be able to get into her house. She'd have to find a way to sneak in without being seen, and that was assuming that no one was lingering.

She kept her hoodie pulled over her head, hands in her pockets, as she walked, choosing the least visible routes. Having lived in Annandale most of her life, she knew her way around well enough. She could keep to wooded areas and secluded paths. The seclusion made her journey all the more terrifying, not knowing whether someone might jump out at her at any given moment, but she still had the gun in her pocket. It was her only line of defense between her and anyone intent on hurting her.

Evie reached the edge of the woods behind her house just after 9 a.m. There was no sign of anyone milling about in the yard, nor could she see any lights coming from inside the house. Yellow crime scene tape stretched across the exterior of the house, so Evie knew the cops had already been there. Hopefully, they weren't still there. Moving as silently as possible, she crept across the yard, her eyes constantly darting back and forth, watching for any hidden dangers.

The inside looked, for the most part, just as it had that morning. Her mother was no longer lying near the base of the stairs, of course, but the blood stains were there, reminding Evie of the horrors she'd seen that morning. The house was eerily silent.

It took all of her strength not to curl up there in the middle of the floor and cry. Instead, Evie carefully climbed the stairs, heading straight for the master bedroom. There was a box there where her mom had kept a small stash of cash. She'd called it her 'rainy day fund.' Evie wasn't sure why her mom had kept so much cash in the house when she had a bank account and several credit cards, but at that moment she was glad for it.

The ten-year-old had just removed the lid from the box when she heard something coming up the stairs. Realizing there wasn't enough time to hide, nor was there any space where she could lock someone out indefinitely, she pulled the small, shiny gun from her pocket and slowly backed up until her back was pressed against the far wall, her eyes and gun trained on the closed bedroom door. The seconds seemed to stretch on forever as the footsteps grew louder. As the doorknob clicked, she took a deep breath, readying herself as much as she could for whatever was on the other side of the door.

The door opened and a man stepped in. Evie recognized his face at once; he had been one of the men with guns that morning. He had a gun even now, but it wasn't yet aimed at her. Without hesitating, she aimed and shot him in the shoulder, hoping to injure him enough to get away without having to kill him.

Cursing, the man stumbled, falling to his knees. He held a hand over his shoulder for a moment before lifting his gaze toward Evie, leveling her with a look of pure hatred.

Evie's legs wobbled and she slid down the wall until she was seated, her eyes never leaving his.

* * *

><p>Callen and Sam stepped out of the car, staring at the attractive suburban house before them. Despite the fact that they had been through every inch of the house the previous night, and Gibbs' team had done so earlier that day, Hetty had insisted they return. Even from 3,000 miles away, the petite woman wasn't someone anyone in their right mind said 'no' to.<p>

"What does she expect us to find?" Sam wondered aloud. "I can't see her returning to the scene of her mom's murder."

Callen glanced around, his gaze settling on a black SUV not far from the driveway. He nodded toward the vehicle and shared a look with his partner. "Seems we have company," he said, reaching for his weapon.

Just then, the unmistakable pop of a gunshot rang through the air. The two agents pulled their guns and dashed to the front door. Callen opened the door and crept in, Sam protecting his back. They heard heavily accented cursing coming from the second floor. Another shot and Callen and Sam found themselves moving as quickly as they could without making a sound.

In the master bedroom, they found a girl seated on the floor against the far wall. She matched the photo he'd seen of Evie back in Ops. A man was crouched down on carpet not five feet from her. Blood stained his shirt; a few drops had made their way into the carpet. The girl had a gun in her hands, pointed squarely at the man.

"Stupid girl," the man muttered, slowly rising to his feet. "Your aim is off. I will enjoy killing you."

Evie cocked the gun, aiming it at the man's head. Callen could see the fear in her eyes plain as day, but there was also a fire burning beyond that fear. He had the distinct feeling she could take the man out in one shot if she wanted to.

"Federal agents!" Sam said loudly, announcing their presence. "Put your hands where we can see them!"

The injured man turned to stare at Callen and Sam as if contemplating an escape attempt. The pair were no strangers to suspects fleeing, but to their relief he instead groaned, kneeling on the carpet and slowly putting his hands on his head.

Sam stepped forward to handcuff the man, but the girl kept the gun trained on her target.

"Evie?" Callen asked in a low voice, approaching her cautiously. He needed to disarm her before she accidentally shot one of them, but he knew if he moved too quickly, it could spook her.

She turned her head to see Callen, the rest of her body frozen. "Who are you?"

"I'm Agent Callen, NCIS. This is my partner, Agent Hanna." He nodded toward Sam, who had the man cuffed and was now calling for an ambulance and backup on his cell phone. Callen was surprised to see recognition in her eyes.

"G. Callen?" Evie asked, unable to believe he was actually _the_ G. Callen her mom had spoken of.

The special agent nodded, still wondering how she knew his name. "Can I have the gun?" He waited patiently, but didn't reach for the gun, not yet.

"I want to see your ID."

Evie expected him to just flash a badge, but Callen crouched down, offering her his photo ID. She studied the ID, unable to mask her own surprise. She was supposed to find him, and here he'd found _her_. She couldn't figure out what he was doing in Virginia, though. He wasn't supposed to be anywhere near Virginia, not according to her mom. Still, she was satisfied that he was who he said and that he wasn't a threat. Cautiously Evie lowered the gun and allowed Callen to take it gently from her hand.

With the gun safely in his possession, Callen took a closer look at Evie. She was petite, with golden brown hair that was pulled into two messy braids and pretty blue eyes. Her skin was like porcelain apart from a splattering of freckles on her cheeks. Callen could see a great deal of Beth in her; there was no doubt they were mother and daughter. Her eyes, though – those weren't Beth's, as the former NCIS agent had had hazel eyes. There was something about Evie's eyes…

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking her over for any signs that she'd been hurt. He didn't see any blood on her, but that didn't mean she couldn't have been injured in some other way. A surge of relief flowed through him when she nodded. "You're sure? You're not hurt anywhere?"

Evie shook her head, not sure she trusted her voice just yet, and moved to push herself up, but Callen surprised her when he gently grasped her arms to help pull her up. "Thanks," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. "What… what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in California?"

Callen froze, his eyes studying her in shock. "Who told you I'm from California?"

"Mom."

Whatever Callen had been expecting, it hadn't been that. He was actually speechless for several long moments. Callen cleared his throat, finally finding his voice. "Beth told you about me?"

"She said if anything ever happened to her to ask the first NCIS agent I saw to find you," Evie admitted. "She said you'd be able to help. Is that why you're here, to catch the people who killed her?"

He didn't miss the way she'd said 'people' instead of 'person' when referring to her mother's murder. He filed away that mental note for future reference. "Actually, Evie, I came here to find _you_. We need to get you out of here."

She allowed Callen to guide her out of the room. Evie noticed that the other agent – Agent Hanna, Callen had called him – had taken the gunman somewhere else. She wasn't worried, though. She knew that wherever he was, he wouldn't be able to hurt her at the moment, and she trusted Callen would keep her safe. After all, her mom had trusted Callen. "Where are we going?" she asked as they descended the stairs.

"NCIS Headquarters at the Navy Yard."


	3. Chapter 3

Evie, Callen, and Sam walked through a sea of stares inside the NCIS Headquarters as all eyes were trained on them as they passed. Evie didn't particularly like the attention – she was never one for being the center of attention – but it didn't seem to faze her companions. Feeling a little self-conscious, Evie edged closer to Agent Callen, trusting that he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

She'd glanced at the two men every so often, when she was sure they weren't looking. It was clear they were partners. Though they'd quietly bickered over something that sounded ridiculous to the ten-year-old, Agent Callen seemed to trust Agent Hanna completely and vice versa. Agent Callen was shorter and slightly leaner than Agent Hanna, who reminded Evie of a giant teddy bear with muscles, though they both seemed tall to her. There was no doubt in her mind that Agent Hanna worked out. They hadn't said anything, but it wouldn't have surprised Evie to find out he was former military – perhaps a marine, considering the way he carried himself. Agent Callen definitely _wasn't_ former military, and there was something softer about his build – he wasn't overweight, he just didn't seem to hit the gym as often as Agent Hanna – but there was more to him than met the eye, she was sure of it. Neither man had a lot of hair, which Evie found amusing.

Then, there was the fact that Evie was where her mom had worked just a week prior. Would she run into her mom's coworkers? Would they say anything to her? When her friend Lane had lost his grandpa, he'd said everyone made a point to tell him they were so sorry for his loss. Evie didn't want complete strangers approaching her to talk about her mom. She was barely hanging by a thread as it was.

They entered an elevator, and Evie was grateful for the brief reprieve. Even being in an enclosed space with two men she didn't know, she wasn't scared. Her mom had trusted Agent Callen completely, so Evie did as well. Agent Callen trusted Agent Hanna, so Evie trusted Agent Hanna enough to keep her safe.

Unfortunately, the tranquility of the elevator didn't last long, and once again, they were greeted with stares. This time, however, they approached a man with gray hair and a serious expression. Other men and women were seated at desks, though their attention was focused solely on her. If possible, it was even more unnerving than it had been downstairs.

Her feet slowed of their own accord, but Callen hardly missed a beat as he rested a hand on her shoulder, guiding her forward. They reached the silver-haired man sooner than Evie would have liked, but to her surprise, he offered her a smile. She got the distinct impression that not many people had the honor. "You must be Evie," he said as he offered her his hand.

"This is Special Agent Gibbs," Callen explained as Evie allowed Gibbs to shake her hand. "His team is in charge of finding the person who hurt your mom."

The name triggered a bell in her head. It took several long seconds, but Evie finally made the connection. She'd heard her mom talking on the phone to someone named Gibbs. It had been months ago, but the memory had stuck. "You knew my mom," she said quietly.

Gibbs nodded. If he was surprised she'd made the connection, he didn't show it. "I had the honor of working with her on a case or two. She was a fine agent."

Evie was pretty sure Gibbs had just given her mother a compliment of the highest order. "Thank you," she murmured.

Another gray-haired man stepped forward, this one shorter than Gibbs. He was clearly older than the agent, and he wore a periwinkle button down shirt, a red plaid bow tie, and a friendly expression. Evie thought he was kind of adorable, in a little old man sort of way.

Gibbs nodded to the man and said, "This is Dr. Mallard. I'd like for him to check you over quickly to make sure that you're all right."

She thought it was odd, NCIS having a medical doctor on hand – not that she was an expert on the federal agency, but it _was_ a federal agency. High ranking officials, sure… agents galore and tech specialists, of course… perhaps even some forensic scientists, considering they had murders to solve, but medical personnel?

It was possible that they had brought him in for the sole purpose of making sure she was okay, she supposed. With most of those men still out there, Evie certainly didn't want to be in a large hospital or clinic where anyone could walk in off the streets. She imagined it was the reason they were having a doctor look at her here at NCIS. However, any visitor would have a visitor's badge, and Dr. Mallard wore none. He had to be NCIS personnel, somehow.

"I'm not hurt," she informed the men before her. Exhausted, hungry, and a little dehydrated, for sure, with a headache that left her fighting not to act cranky, but she wasn't injured. "You probably need more than the word of a ten-year-old to be sure, though." It was all right, she decided. Perhaps talking to this doctor would clear up some of her questions.

"I'm afraid we do," agreed Gibbs. He nodded to a cheerful young woman with black pigtails and a white lab coat. "This is Abby Sciuto. She'll be with you and Dr. Mallard."

Evie studied the young woman. "Are you a doctor, too?"

"Forensic scientist," Abby said, holding out a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Evie. We're really glad you're here and you're okay."

The woman in front of her wasn't what Evie had expected when she thought of a forensic scientist, but she decided she liked that about her. "It's nice to meet you too, Miss Sciuto."

"Abby," corrected the forensic scientist. She stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Evie's shoulders. She didn't miss the way the girl flinched slightly, but she didn't pull away. "Ducky won't take long, and then I can give you a tour around here if you want."

That didn't sound so bad, Evie thought. She was about to say so when she felt a particularly hard cramp in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and frowned, taking a deep breath in through her nose as she willed her stomach to relax.

It didn't escape her notice that everyone was watching her even more closely, but she had no plans to say anything. However, her body spoke for her as a gurgling sound erupted from inside her, one that seemed so loud to her own ears that there was no way everyone else didn't hear.

"When's the last time you ate?" Abby demanded.

Evie took another deep breath, relaxing a little as the pain subsided. "Yesterday… morning."

"Evie… why didn't you say something?"

She shrugged her shoulders, glancing up at Callen. "Dunno."

"Well, we're going to get you something to eat right now." Without waiting for anyone to agree, Abby steered Evie out of the bull pen and in search of a good meal.

* * *

><p>"Talk to me, Duck."<p>

The seasoned medical examiner sighed as Gibbs and Callen entered autopsy. Only minutes ago, Ducky had left Evie in a conference room with Abby, who had been all too eager to entertain the girl. After making sure the child had eaten something, Ducky had checked her over, giving her a clean bill of health. The mini checkup had given him the opportunity to speak with Evie without the others around, something Gibbs had insisted upon. "Genevieve is a delightful girl, Jethro; bright, kind, and completely aware of everything going on around her. She's grieving over the loss of her mother in much the same way I'd expect any other child to grieve upon becoming an orphan."

Gibbs understood the loss of a parent all too well, but he didn't exactly agree with the orphan assessment. "She still has family."

"An aunt in D.C. and elderly grandparents in Fredericksburg, she told me," Ducky agreed. "It's my understanding that Evie's grandparents aren't in the best of health at this point, and her aunt is a grad student at Georgetown. It's not the same as having one's parents, though, and at this point she doesn't know who she's going to be living with. That kind of uncertainty can be scary for a child."

"Did she say anything about her mom?"

"She spoke of things she and Agent Mitchell had liked to do together and how she felt about her mother, but she didn't say a word about her passing."

"You're telling me she doesn't know anything about her mom's death." Gibbs couldn't deny that it would be best for the girl if she wasn't a witness and at danger from the person or persons responsible for Agent Mitchell's death, but at the same time, having a witness could be invaluable. He'd spoken to Callen and Sam while Ducky had been with Evie. Knowing that the ten-year-old had had a gun, and that she'd had an encounter with a suspect from Agent Mitchell's murder, the former Marine had a hard time believing Evie knew nothing.

"On the contrary – I am certain she knows exactly what happened. She purposely avoided any line of questioning that dealt with her mother's passing, but I could see it in her eyes. The girl is terrified, Jethro. She isn't going to open up about it to just anyone."

Gibbs sighed. That could pose a problem. "What do you suggest, Ducky?"

Ducky nodded to the youngest man in the room. "Let Agent Callen interview her."

"Me?" Callen asked, caught off guard by the suggestion. Sure, he and Sam had been the ones to find Evie, but he wasn't any more skilled at questioning possible witnesses than Gibbs. In fact, Callen was willing to bet that Gibbs would be much more effective interviewing a child – he'd been a father at one point, after all. Callen had no experience with kids whatsoever. "Why me?"

"That girl holds you in the highest regard, Agent Callen," Ducky explained. "Her mother spoke highly of you to her daughter. If Genevieve is going to open up to anyone about what she knows I am fairly certain it will be you."


	4. Chapter 4

"Thank you for speaking with us, Miss Mitchell. We're very sorry for your loss."

Bishop and McGee sat on a sofa in the small one-bedroom apartment. Though it was the home of a college student, it had a cozy feel to it. Family pictures and fresh paintings adorned the walls, which had been painted a faint blue. The attached kitchen was bright and clean.

Adjacent to them sat Jennifer Mitchell, Beth's younger sister. Red, puffy eyes revealed she'd been crying before they got there. Not that either agent could blame her. The twenty-something had lost her sister and potentially her niece. McGee couldn't even imagine what he would do if something happened to Sarah.

She nodded as she blew her nose into a tissue. "Thank you. Y-you can call me Jenna. Have they found Evie yet?"

Bishop shook her head. "Not yet, but we've got a team out looking for her. We'll do everything we can to find her."

"We were hoping to ask you a few questions about your sister," McGee told the young woman.

"Of course; anything you need…"

McGee pulled out a note pad and a pen. "When was the last time you spoke with Beth?"

Jenna thought about that for a moment. "Saturday night. It was a little before six, because I had a date that night."

"Did she seem different at all when you talked to her?"

"Beth had been on edge for at least a week before that… looking over her shoulder and around every corner. I've never seen her like that. When we talked, she was really adamant about my being safe on my date. I mean, she's always telling me to be careful, but she was much more worried about it that night. I didn't understand why, but I just brushed it off."

McGee jotted down a few notes. "Did she say anything that might make you suspect that she was in any kind of trouble or feared for her safety?"

Jenna shook her head. "No… not that she would have. She'd never tell me that she was worried about anything, even if I could hear it in her voice."

"Did she have any enemies?" Bishop questioned.

"Not that I know of, but I'm sure being a Navy cop doesn't always make you a lot of friends."

McGee looked up from his pad. "Did your sister say or do anything else that you thought to be out of the ordinary?" he asked Jenna.

"I'm not sure if it has anything to do with what happened, but two months ago Beth began teaching Evie how to shoot a gun. It was shocking, because Beth has always been adamant about Evie not even going near firearms. Evie touched Beth's gun when she was six, and Beth freaked. She swore after that that her daughter wouldn't go near a gun until she was a legal adult."

Bishop and McGee both found that odd, but there wasn't enough information to decide whether or not it was connected to Agent Mitchell's death. Feeling there wasn't much more to gleam from this interview, McGee stood, prompting Bishop to do the same. He handed Jenna a business card. "Thank you again for your time. If you think of anything else, please call me."

The young woman nodded in agreement. "I will."

Bishop had just reached for the knob on the front door when McGee's cell phone rang. He lifted the phone to his ear. "McGee… Wait, what…? Is she okay…? Yeah, thanks." Ending the call, McGee turned to Bishop and Jenna, who were both watching with a great deal of curiosity. "That was Tony," he explained to Bishop before turning to Agent Mitchell's sister. "Evie's been found. She's okay." He gave the young woman a moment to process the news and let out an audible sigh of relief. "She's back at NCIS Headquarters. If you'd like, we can give you a ride."

* * *

><p>Evie sat on the chair, immediately pulling her legs up so that they were crisscrossed on the seat. She watched as Callen set a bottle of water in front of her before sitting on a chair on the opposite side of the table. The room was warm enough, the chair reasonably plush. Windows along a far wall presented an impressive view of the Navy Yard. Evie knew they were in a conference room, which seemed much cozier than what she'd seen of interrogation rooms on TV. It wasn't that she'd expected to be taken to some dark, gloomy room… actually she really didn't know what she expected.<p>

After several long seconds, Callen nodded to the bottle. "Drink some water… doctor's orders."

Evie shrugged a shoulder. "I don't suppose I could just say I'm not thirsty and we leave it at that…?"

Callen cracked a smile. "Not really, no. Dr. Mallard said you're a little dehydrated and that you need to drink extra water."

She nodded, more to herself than anything, and unscrewed the cap. She took a small sip, careful not to drink too much of the icy liquid as to give herself a headache. Glancing around the room, she noticed the absence of any surveillance equipment. "I don't see any cameras."

The agent tilted his head, surprised by the observation. "There aren't any cameras in this room. Why did you think there would be?"

"I figured you'd have cameras everywhere, being a government agency and all."

Callen shook his head no. "No, no cameras. It's just us in here." He paused, considering her with curiosity. "Are you okay with that?"

Truthfully, it didn't bother her. She might have been nervous if Agent Gibbs had been the one on the other side of the table, or even Agent Hanna, but her mom had trusted Agent Callen, so Evie decided she should trust him as well. "Yeah, it's fine," she told him honestly.

The man smiled. "Water," he prompted.

Rolling her eyes a little, Evie took another sip. "You sound like a dad," commented Evie. "My friends' dads sound like that sometimes. Do you have any kids?"

"I don't," Callen admitted. "Speaking of parents and families, though, your aunt and grandparents have been very worried about you." He spoke with care, making sure his tone was gentle. He didn't want to scare or scold the girl, and questioning children wasn't exactly a strength of his. "Can you tell me where you've been the past three days?"

Evie studied her hands in her lap. "I'd rather not."

"You're not in trouble, Evie," he tried to assure her. "We were concerned that you'd been kidnapped or that the people who hurt your mom had hurt you as well, and we're trying to understand what happened between Sunday and now."

She believed him, for the most part, but she still had no desire to explain where she'd been during that time. She didn't want to think about all of the hiding, or the fact that she'd jumped every time she heard the slightest unexpected noise. So instead of speaking, she shook her head and continued to focus on her hands.

When Evie didn't say anything, Callen continued. "Agent Hanna and I were surprised to find you at your house," he told her. "Were you there a long time before we got there?"

She supposed that would have been a surprise. The place was a crime scene, after all. "I needed some food and money," she admitted softly.

"What about after you got the food and money? Where were you going to go, then?"

His voice was calm and nonthreatening. Beginning to feel more comfortable with the conversation, she lifted her head, glancing Callen's way. "I was going to find the closest military base and go there."

Her answer took Callen by surprise. "Why go to a military base?" he asked, curious to hear her answer.

"To find an NCIS agent," she replied.

Ah. That made sense, now that Callen thought about it. He remembered she'd told him back at her house that her mom had told her to ask an agent to find him. He had more questions, though, while they were on the subject. "So they could find me," he remembered out loud. "When did your mom tell you about me?"

The memory of that night swirled around in Evie's mind. Remembering the weight of her mother's voice left Evie with a small lump in her throat. She reached for the bottle of water, taking a longer sip this time to put off having to explain.

_One week earlier…_

"_I need to talk to you about something very important, Evie."_

_Beth Mitchell sat on the edge of her daughter's bed. It was their routine for Beth to tuck Evie in at night, even if the girl was now ten. Normally Beth would give Evie a hug and a kiss and bid her sweet dreams, but tonight was different. Beth knew it, and it seemed Evie knew it as well as she stared up at her mother with a worried expression._

"_Mom, what's wrong?"_

"_There's a man who lives in California," Beth explained. "His name is G. Callen. It's important for you to remember his name."_

"_Why do I need to remember G. Callen?"_

"_He's a good man and a fellow agent. I would trust him with my life, and I want you to trust him as well."_

_When Beth said 'agent,' Evie knew she meant an NCIS Special Agent. She'd known her own mother was an agent since she'd been seven, and it came as no surprise that Beth would know agents around the country. However, this current conversation was setting off warning bells in Evie's brain, but she wasn't sure what to make of it. "Mom…?" she asked slowly, confusion evident on her face._

_Beth placed one hand on top of Evie's. "If anything ever happens to me, Evie, anything at all, I need you to ask the first NCIS agent you see to find G. Callen."_

_Suddenly Evie felt wide awake. What did she mean by THAT? "Mom…?" she repeated, her voice cracking slightly._

_It broke Beth's heart, scaring her baby like that, but it was too important to set aside for later. She couldn't guarantee that there _would_ be a 'later.' "Promise me, Evie. Promise me that if anything happens, you'll ask someone to find G. Callen."_

"_Mommy…" She hadn't used the name in over a year, but right then, Evie felt much younger than she really was._

_Beth shook her head. "Genevieve Elizabeth, I need you to promise me."_

_Her mom never called her by her first and middle name unless she was really serious about something or Evie was in trouble. The words rolled off her tongue before she could even think, her voice shaking in the process. "I promise."_

_Leaning down, Beth kissed her daughter's forehead. "Good girl." Seeing Evie on the verge of tears, she gently nudged the girl. "Scoot over, sweet pea." Beth stretched out on her side next to Evie, reaching over to smooth back her hair. "Go to sleep, okay? I'll be here when you wake up, I promise."_

Present Day

Beth had been there when Evie had awoken the following morning as promised, but just days later she'd been violently ripped from the child's life. Evie wondered if her mom had suspected something might happen to her. Why else would she have made Evie promise such a thing?

The ten-year-old sniffled, wiping the dampness from her eyes. "It was a week ago," she finally answered, burying her hands in her lap. "She made me promise to ask for you if anything ever happened to her. She said she trusted you with her life, and I should, too."

Callen found he was both honored and surprised by the admission. He would have trusted Beth with his own life, easily, but for her to have singled him out to her daughter, to have put that trust in him in the ten-year-old, was something else entirely.

"Did your mom say anything about why she was telling you all of this?"

"No," Evie replied with a slight head shake. "After that night, she didn't mention it again."

Believing Evie, Callen moved on. "All right. Let's talk about Sunday. What did you do that day?"

Evie resumed her intensive study of her lap. "You don't want to know what I did on Sunday."

"I don't?" Callen asked, one eyebrow raised curiously.

She shook her head, but didn't offer any further explanation.

"What do I really want to know then, Evie?" Callen questioned after several moments of silence.

Evie looked up just then, her eyes studying him intently. Her mom had been adamant that she could trust him. She'd trusted him enough to hand over her mom's gun, and she'd trusted him enough to talk to him in this conference room away from the others. Evie knew she needed to be able to trust someone with what she knew. If she was going to trust anyone, it might as well be him. She wiped the moisture from her eyes once more, her gaze holding his. "You want to know what I know about my mom's murder."

Damn it, she was clever. "Okay. What can you tell me about that day?"

"We didn't go to church that morning, even though we always go unless we're sick," Evie revealed. "Mom said I was going to spend a few days with Mimi and Pops, and that I should pack what I wanted to take with me. She was really nervous."

Evie's story corroborated Gibbs' report of the crime scene. He'd relayed to Callen that they'd found half-packed suitcases in both Beth and Evie's rooms. "Was your mom going to stay with your grandparents, too?"

"I don't think so. She didn't say."

"Agent Gibbs said that the suitcases weren't completely packed. What happened?"

"I went to ask Mom something when she told me to stop talking and walked over to the window. When she turned back around, her face was really white. She told me to go down to the basement and lock the door behind me."

"Did you go to the basement?"

Evie shook her head slowly. "No. I argued with her. She got really mad, even though she never got that mad at me, even when I'd do things I wasn't supposed to. She started to make me go down the stairs when we heard the front door open. She placed one finger over her lips, grabbed my arm and dragged me to my room, locked the door, and closed it without a word. I…" She didn't finish her thought as her gaze once more returned to her hands in her lap.

Callen gave the girl a moment before he realized she wasn't going to say anything further without some prodding. "What happened then, Evie?"

"I heard arguing. I knew she wanted me to stay in my room, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to know who she was arguing with, so I crept out of my room and stood against the wall at the top of the stairs. I peeked around the corner carefully to see if I could see what was going on downstairs."

"What did you see?"

The memory of what happened next played in slow-motion in her mind. The men pointing their guns at Beth, a brief sound that she couldn't put into words, and then Beth crumpling to the floor as blood began to soak her shirt. Shaking her head to dismiss the unwelcome images there, Evie curled up into a ball and buried her face in her knees.

She heard soft movements, but Evie didn't react until she felt something touch her arm. Jumping a little, she lifted her head just enough to see Callen's face at her level, his hand resting gently on her arm.

"You're safe here, Evie," he told her in a soft tone. "I know you're scared, but I promise you that my team and I won't let anyone hurt you. It's my team's sole mission here to protect you. Agent Gibbs' team is responsible for finding the person or people who hurt your mom. They're very good at finding the bad guys, but they could still use your help, and the best way to help them do that is to tell us everything you know."

Evie watched Callen silently for the better part of a minute before she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "There were three men," she admitted. "They all had guns, but it was the man in the middle who shot her. There was something weird about his gun. It didn't make the sound guns normally make when they fire. I could barely hear it."

Callen was tempted to ask whether or not Evie saw their faces and what they were wearing, but some gut instinct told him to hold off on those questions. "Did the men see you?"

"I don't think so." She was sure that if they'd seen her, they would have immediately come after her. "They never looked up the stairs. They leaned over my mom, stared at her for a minute, and then left."

"What about the man at your house earlier today?" prodded Callen. "Was he one of the men you saw when your mom was shot?"

She nodded softly. "Yes, but he wasn't the one who… you know…"

Callen moved his hand from her arm to her own hand, squeezing it gently. "You did a great job just now, Evie. I'm going to tell Agent Gibbs what you just told me, so his team can find the other two men who came to your house that day. Agent Gibbs will probably want you to work with Abby for a little bit. She can use what you remember of the men to create a sketch of them that will help us find them."


End file.
